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Walter Reyes was unhappy working at a fast-food chain and earning minimum wage. He knew he wanted to do something more challenging where he could earn more money.
Reyes’ mother suggested barbering school, since he had always shown interest in cutting and styling hair.
Fast forward to 2023 and Reyes has since transformed his life. He has completed a barbering course at Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ South Dade Technical College and gained valuable skills and the operation of a business.
South Dade Technical College is the only school in the southern region of the county that offers a barbering program. Students can earn their barbering license after completing the course and are able to start working as barbers within a few weeks as a result.
Reyes has been a barber at Miami Clippers for about a year. He has a loyal cadre of customers, earns $1,000 a week and is the proud owner of a new car.
“I think I’ve come a long way,” Reyes said. “I used to work at Wendy’s for $600 every two weeks and now I make more than twice that doing something I really like.”
Aside from his mother, Reyes has someone else to thank for his new life — Victor Ramos, his barbering teacher.
Ramos, 34, has taught the barbering course since early 2020. At that time, he only had one student, and the class was in danger of being phased out. However, he worked hard to revive it, visiting high schools to speak to students who might be interested.
The program now boasts 20 students. Approximately 95 percent of the students graduating have jobs waiting for them in local barbering businesses, thanks to the connections that their teacher has developed over the years.
“I’ve worked at barber shops cutting hair all the way from Krome Avenue to US1 to Florida City,” Ramos said. “I give barber shop owners a call and I’ll say, ‘look I have a good student, are you ready to take them in,’ and usually they say ‘sure bring them in.’”
Before becoming a teacher, Ramos worked for over a decade at many of the local barber shops. He gained valuable experience in how to treat and retain customers, which styles and techniques work, and how to present oneself in a professional way.
“When I started, I didn’t know anything about barbering at all, nothing, zero,” said Stephanie Zeli, who graduated in December from South Dade and is working on getting her barbering license and starting her own business. “I was practicing on a mannequin, and I was scared to death of cutting an actual person’s hair. Mr. Ramos pushed me to overcome that fear. Now I cut my kids’ and my husband’s hair.”
Reyes said what sets Ramos apart is that he has so much experience in the field and is very supportive as new students are learning the craft of barbering and emphasizes everything from scissor work to styling to bleaching and dying hair.
“I thought he was a great teacher,” Reyes said. “I’ve heard stories of other barbering schools that do not back up what they teach. He’s teaching you how to cut hair because he really knows how to do it.”
Ramos dedicates one class a week to issues that impact his students outside the classroom. This is a part of the curriculum he feels has had a big impact on helping his students succeed after graduation. He teaches them about credit and how to apply for loans if they want to start their own barbering business. He also stresses the importance of dressing and acting professionally at their new jobs.
“He taught us that we have to dress appropriately if we expect people to take us seriously and he taught us how to deal with customers who are a little bit rude,” Reyes said. “It’s business; you should never overreact; you need to control the situation.”
For more information on technical education at M-DCPS, please call 305-558-8000 or visit www.careerinayear.com.
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